trying to capture the world…my way

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Monthly Archives: August 2015

Near my old workplace there’s a lovely public garden that is always busy with office workers, local residents and shop owners enjoying the pretty view, it being a place to escape the office and have a break, especially in the summer.

What is unusual about this garden is that it used to be an old cemetery. (It was a place of burial from 1747, but was open to the public as a garden from 1885). Among the benches, trees and flowers are box tombs. I don’t think they still contain any bodies but they are interesting to look at and certainly add character to the park.

Something less obvious, and what I didn’t notice until my umpteenth time passing through is, if you look closely, all along the back walls of the garden are headstones. They look quite old and most have the writing worn and weathered away.

This garden has been a sight for sore eyes especially from my desk, being able to see racing dogs, lunchers or local journalists filming but I think it’s the strange history that has kept me interested.

I was playing tourist recently in London (of which I will post more about soon) and on my wonderings I came across these interesting sculptures. The horse’s head is called Still Water and looks quite calming. The black beast-looking thing across, I have to admit gave me the creeps so I didn’t take any closer photos of it but it’s called She Guardian and I’m sure will also be scaring others. There was also a temporary summer observation wheel which gives you a view of the local area including Hyde Park, which seemed nice.

I recently left my job and as a parting gift my old work colleagues gave me a card with some lovely messages, a gift card to buy something nice with and these beautiful lilies. I managed to get them home on the tube in one piece (although I did poke a few people with the long stems), and they’re now sitting on the kitchen table brightening up the room.

My older sister decided to throw an Eid party to celebrate the end of Ramadan and on this occasion she asked the guests to bring along a dish so we could all share something with each other, which was a nice idea. The guests who came were good cooks and really generous which meant we had lots of delicious foods to eat and sweets treats to tuck into.

There were a wide variety of savoury and spicy dishes which went down well; kebabs, rice, chicken curry, samosas and many more.

The desserts that were bought along were just as delicious, my younger sister made a tasty chocolate cake, jelly shots for the kids disappeared in minutes, and the healthier options of a fruit platter or fruit with custard and whipped cream, which looked great, was thoroughly enjoyed. There were also mini gingerbread men and muffins and sweets.

Everyone enjoyed the food, games and prizes and we were all exhausted by the time the guests left, but happy that everyone had a good time.

I love this leaf; the bright green colour with the stark white trim around the edge, and the texture of the grooves joining at the stalk. The leaf is deep and almost cup-like and I can just imagine drinking a cool, refreshing drink when it rains.